The Horned Frogs left 13 runners stranded, resulting in a 4-2 lost against Air Force Saturday afternoon.
The Frogs picked up 12 hits in the game. Senior Matt Curry set the single-season record for doubles with his 24th in the third inning.
Redshirt junior Steven Maxwell (8-1) was the tough-luck loser as he surrendered a pair of runs on three hits. Unfortunately, two of the three hits left the ballpark. Along the way, he fanned six batters and issued just one walk. Senior Tyler Lockwood gave up two runs on a hit in an inning of work.
The Frogs looked poised to either tie the game or take the lead as they had two on with nobody out in the bottom of the first inning. Brance Rivera single and Taylor Featherston was hit by the pitch, but Falcon starter Todd Del Toro caught Rivera stealing for the first out of the game. Bryan Holaday singled to put runners on the corners, but another base running error proved costly as Featherston was erased at home trying to score on a ball in the dirt.
The Frogs did get the game tied in the bottom of the second as they took advantage of a pair of two-out walks. Aaron Schultz kept the inning alive with a walk and Jantzen Witte worked another walk. Brance Rivera tied the game with a double to left field.
Maxwell took care of a one-out error in the second as he picked off Alex Bast for the second out in the inning and Holaday erased a two-out walk with his sixth pick-off of the season in the third inning.
TCU had opportunities to take the lead in every inning, but couldn’t find the big hit it needed. Curry was left stranded at third in the third inning and a strikeout in the fourth stranded two more runners in the fourth.
The Frogs best opportunity to take the lead came with runners on the corners and only one out in the fifth. The Falcons went to the bullpen and Kincaid Koehler induced an inning-ending double play ball to get out of the jam.
With one swing of the bat, Nathan Carter broke the 1-1 tie as he delivered his eighth home run of the season to right field for the 2-1 Falcon lead.
Air Force picked up two big runs in the top of the ninth inning to extend its lead to three, 4-1. Carter drew a lead-off walk and Blair Roberts worked a one-out walk. A ground out moved the runners 90 feet and Garrett Custons came through with a bases-clearing triple to drive in the two runs.
TCU attempted to mount a rally in the ninth as Featherston and Holaday singled with one out. Curry made it a 4-2 contest with a sacrifice fly to right. Jason Coats kept the inning alive with a base hit to right, but Sean Carley was able to get the final out of the game to strand the tying runs on base.
TCU falls to 39-11 on the season and 18-5 in league play. The Frogs will go for their 12th series win of the season on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.